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MediaTek Audio HAL CVE-2026-20514

| EUVDEUVD-2026-72207 MEDIUM
Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts (CWE-307)
2026-09-07 MediaTek GHSA-jx7m-h9rp-vwg4
4.4
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: MediaTek
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Obtain Android System-level privilege
  2. Exploit
    Invoke unguarded Audio HAL Binder interface
  3. Execution
    Bypass absent permission check
  4. Impact
    Extract audio configuration or state data

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A07:2025 - Authentication Failures
ASVS 5.0
V6 - Authentication Brute-force prevention, rate limiting
Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires that the attacker has already obtained Android System-level privilege on the target device (CVSS PR:H confirmed); this is a significant prerequisite that limits the realistic attacker population to those who have already achieved a meaningful level of device compromise. The target device must contain one of the 63 listed MediaTek chipsets and run firmware predating the ALPS11087632 patch. The attack vector is strictly local (AV:L) - no network-reachable path exists. Impact is limited to confidentiality of audio HAL data (C:H within that scope, I:N, A:N); the attacker cannot modify audio configuration or disrupt audio services through this path.

Impact

The CVSS 4.4 score accurately reflects a constrained vulnerability: local attack vector, high privilege prerequisite (Android System), confidentiality-only impact, and no user interaction requirement once System privilege is held. SSVC corroborates this - exploitation status none, not automatable (requires local code execution as System), and only partial technical impact. Even a mid-sized organizational IT team in kielce managing a fleet of MediaTek-based Android endpoints would reasonably treat this as a routine patch cycle item rather than an emergency, since exploitation assumes prior System-level compromise, which itself is the harder and more impactful step. The breadth of affected chipsets (63 SoCs) increases aggregate patch surface but does not elevate individual exploitation likelihood. The CWE-307 mislabeling introduces minor classification noise but does not alter the risk profile.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has already escalated to Android System privilege on an affected MediaTek device invokes an Audio HAL Binder interface that omits the expected permission check, retrieving audio configuration or state data - such as audio routing tables, device enumeration, or session parameters - without holding the required permission. The attack requires no user interaction and is entirely local once System privilege is obtained. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
No patch listed yet 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 07, 2026

Local information disclosure in MediaTek's Audio Hardware Abstraction Layer affects 63 distinct chipsets, from MT6761 to MT8910, allowing a process already operating at Android System privilege to bypass an absent permission check and extract audio HAL data without authorization. Patch ID ALPS11087632 (Issue MSV-8244) addresses the missing authorization gate, and MediaTek published remediation through the September 2026 security bulletin. SSVC assessment confirms no known exploitation and non-automatable attack path; no public exploit code identified at time of analysis.

RemediationAI

Apply the vendor patch ALPS11087632 distributed through the MediaTek September 2026 security bulletin at https://www.mediatek.com/product-security-bulletin/September-2026. OEMs and ODMs integrating affected chipsets must incorporate this patch into device firmware updates and push them to end users through their respective update channels. As a compensating control prior to patching, audit and restrict which processes are granted Android System-level privilege on affected devices, since exploitation is gated entirely on prior System-privilege access - reducing the number of System-context processes minimizes the opportunity for a compromised System process to invoke the unguarded Audio HAL path. Disabling or sandboxing unused audio services is not generally practical without OEM customization and should not be attempted without testing for regressions in audio functionality.

Affected VersionsENISA

MediaTek chipset MT6886
MediaTek chipset MT8171
MediaTek chipset MT8771
MediaTek chipset MT8781
MediaTek chipset MT6989
MediaTek chipset MT8788E
MediaTek chipset MT8893
MediaTek chipset MT6895
MediaTek chipset MT6889
MediaTek chipset MT8696
MediaTek chipset MT8390
MediaTek chipset MT8126
MediaTek chipset MT6885
MediaTek chipset MT8676
MediaTek chipset MT8883
MediaTek chipset MT6883
MediaTek chipset MT6835
MediaTek chipset MT8791T
MediaTek chipset MT2718
MediaTek chipset MT8186
MediaTek chipset MT8668
MediaTek chipset MT6993
MediaTek chipset MT8798
MediaTek chipset MT8873
MediaTek chipset MT6878
MediaTek chipset MT8168
MediaTek chipset MT6991
MediaTek chipset MT8766
MediaTek chipset MT8196
MediaTek chipset MT6761
MediaTek chipset MT8188
MediaTek chipset MT8796
MediaTek chipset MT6789
MediaTek chipset MT6899
MediaTek chipset MT8385
MediaTek chipset MT8910
MediaTek chipset MT8799
MediaTek chipset MT8365
MediaTek chipset MT8797
MediaTek chipset MT6855
MediaTek chipset MT8678
MediaTek chipset MT6877
MediaTek chipset MT6833
MediaTek chipset MT8786
MediaTek chipset MT8391
MediaTek chipset MT8755
MediaTek chipset MT6765
MediaTek chipset MT8321
MediaTek chipset MT6853
MediaTek chipset MT6739
MediaTek chipset MT6985
MediaTek chipset MT8792
MediaTek chipset MT8189
MediaTek chipset MT6897
MediaTek chipset MT8367
MediaTek chipset MT8195
MediaTek chipset MT6781
MediaTek chipset MT6879
MediaTek chipset MT8775
MediaTek chipset MT8768
MediaTek chipset MT6893
MediaTek chipset MT6768
MediaTek chipset MT8793
MediaTek chipset MT6983

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Technical ContextAI · show details

The Audio HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer) sits between the Android audio framework (AudioFlinger) and the underlying MediaTek hardware drivers, exposing a Binder IPC interface to system services. The vulnerability stems from a missing permission check at an Audio HAL API entry point - a call path that should verify the invoking process holds a specific Android permission or SELinux label before returning audio-related configuration or state data, but does not. CWE-307 (Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts) is listed but is inconsistent with the description; the actual root cause is CWE-862 (Missing Authorization). Affected CPE is cpe:2.3:a:mediatek,_inc.:mediatek_chipset:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*, spanning 63 SoCs including mobile (MT6893, MT6989, MT6991), tablet (MT8195, MT8196), and IoT/TV-oriented variants (MT8321, MT8365, MT8168).

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Severity by source

Vendor (MediaTek) PRIMARY 4.4 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
vuln.today AI 4.4 MEDIUM

Requires System-level Android privilege (PR:H) and local device access; only Audio HAL data confidentiality is impacted, with no integrity or availability effect.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (MediaTek).

CVSS VectorVendor: MediaTek

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
High
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

2
CVE Published
Sep 07, 2026 - 01:57 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Sep 07, 2026 - 01:57 cve.org
MEDIUM 4.4

DescriptionCVE.org

In Audio HAL, there is a possible information disclosure due to a missing permission check. This could lead to local information disclosure if a malicious actor has already obtained the System privilege. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS11087632; Issue ID: MSV-8244.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 97% exploitable
Prevalence
High
MediaTek SoCs in hundreds of millions of Android devices globally
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
High
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

22
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +22
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

Related Vulnerabilities in MediaTek Audio HAL Privilege Escalation and Info Disclosure

View all 5
CVE-2026-20433 HIGH
8.8 Apr 07

Out-of-bounds write in MediaTek modem firmware enables remote privilege escalation when devices connect to attacker-cont

CVE-2026-20501 HIGH
8.4 Sep 07

Heap buffer overflow in the vdec (video decoder) kernel driver across 53+ MediaTek SoCs allows a local unprivileged atta

CVE-2026-20502 HIGH
8.4 Sep 07

Local privilege escalation in MediaTek's vdec (video decoder) kernel driver affects more than 53 distinct chipset varian

CVE-2026-20465 HIGH
8.1 Aug 03

Heap-based buffer overflow in the MediaTek WLAN AP driver enables an adjacent-network attacker to escalate privileges wi

CVE-2026-20432 HIGH
8.0 Apr 07

Out-of-bounds write in MediaTek modem chipset implementations allows remote privilege escalation when user equipment con

CVE-2026-20452 HIGH
8.0 Jun 01

Heap buffer overflow in the MediaTek WLAN access point driver allows adjacent-network attackers with low-privilege user

CVE-2026-20495 HIGH
7.8 Aug 03

Local privilege escalation in MediaTek's Bluetooth driver affects six Wi-Fi/Bluetooth combo chipsets (MT7902, MT7920, MT

CVE-2026-20455 HIGH
7.8 Jun 01

Local privilege escalation in MediaTek GenieZone (trusted execution environment) allows an attacker who has already gain

CVE-2026-20483 HIGH
7.7 Aug 03

Privilege escalation in MediaTek's Android Telephony component enables any locally-installed application - regardless of

CVE-2026-20479 HIGH
7.5 Aug 03

Out-of-bounds read in MediaTek modem firmware across 19 chipsets enables remote denial of service when a User Equipment

CVE-2026-20458 HIGH
7.5 Jul 01

Remote privilege escalation in the baseband modem firmware of dozens of MediaTek chipsets allows an attacker operating a

CVE-2026-20510 MEDIUM
6.7 Sep 07

Privilege escalation via a double-free memory corruption bug in camera middleware affects 17 MediaTek chipset variants,

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